Amy is a filmmaker and lives with her two sons and their dad in Brooklyn, New York. One of her early projects was the first romantic coming of age that deeply entertained and resonated with me. In someway, Y Tu Mamá También was an anthem for my friend group. The story hit us at the right moment - leaving home, adventuring with friends and strangers, living without consequences and turning towards adulthood. Amy and I met and became friends through the ongoing friendship of our eldest sons. She is passionate, devoted, and an exceptionally good cook.

Amy and her son in the Blue Lagoon, Iceland.

Place

Where are you from? Needham, MA

What brought you here? I followed my friends after college

What keeps you here? My love of how much there is to do in New York and all the cool people here

How has this place helped you develop? I finally found my like-minded, type-A career friends who became my like-minded, type-A mama friends

If not here, where would you be? Probably somewhere in South America

What do you love about your home (domestic space)? I love the colors and the textures. The colors are cool, but together with the different materials make the space feel homey

Favorite place of all time? Mexico

Craft

What is your favorite occupation? Writing screenplays

What are you passionate about? Cooking

What inspires you? What drives you? Filmmaking used to inspire me. I built 20 years of my life exploring different parts of the industry. Now I find that I am more driven by simple storytelling. And my kids.

Who inspires you? My kids. And a handful of my friends who manage to keep a happy home while also working.

Why is it important for you to do your work? My work has been a part of my identity for so long. It enabled me to have cool people flow in and out of my life for a very long time.

Do you find anything conflicting about your work? Everything. But seriously, I find producing to be a conflict because of how much it ultimately clashes with the art of a project. I also find the all-consumingness of it to be a conflict with my family harmony (much of the time).

Do you have a clear idea of success? I used to but over the years it has eroded and evolved.

When something goes wrong, what do you do? I try to make it better. I am a fixer. I rush ahead, often without careful consideration in an attempt to make sure the problem doesn't get larger and so that things can continue to move forwards.

How do you cope with disappointment? I get upset and then (thankfully) things pass very quickly for me. I move on.

Friendship + Family

What is the most important quality of a friend? Pure motivation.

What is a characteristic of one of your earliest friends? One of your more recent close friends? Co-dependency. Loyalty.

What is something special you recently did for a friend? I cooked them dinner.

If you could change something about your family or friendships what would it be? Everything would be less complicated. There would be weekly ritualistic dinners incorporating both. I would be more patient. Softer.

Self

Do you have any daily rituals? Coffee.

Weekly rituals? Cooking.

What is your most treasured possession? Materialistic? My wedding ring.

What is your favorite flower? I can't decide between ranunculus and peonies.

Who is your favorite artist or author? Mikhail Bulgakov

What are your favorite names? James (for a girl) and Wyatt (for a girl). Bear and Grey for boys.

What is currently your favorite poem or song? "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone.